May the Wands Be Ever in Your Favor
by Shol.Rebecca
Summary: The dark lord has taken power over the ministry and with the help of Minister Snow he would like to play a little game. Some unexpected characters will be tested, read and so who survives. Rated T for precaution. For my darling Alex who inspires my passion.
1. The Dark Lord

***AN I own nothing I am merely a slave to JK Rowling's literary genius**

Voldemort knew there would be little to no hiding now that he had been sighted at the ministry and his faithful but foolish follower Bellatrix had killed his scapegoat. He could no longer hide behind the mask of the notorious mass murderer Sirius Black. Letting others take the credit for his work had never really been something he was good at but it had worked in his favor. Staying behind closed doors was exactly what he needed and now he would need to take a different approach. He had control of many of the top ministry workers and had been making use of the power, but even with what the Muggles called natural disasters and unexplained disappearances he felt something missing. Though killing just to instill fear in the magical population was a type of fun game, it had begun to get old. An idea had begun to brew in his twisted mind, an idea to do less of the work and enjoy the killing as he had before his minor lapse in power. It had all been caused by the famed Harry Potter, and his misjudgment of his pathetic Mudblood mother. He would show the wizarding world why Muggles were worthless creatures. That they need to be eliminated, he would show them. He would make it a game.

**AN* Please Read _and Review_ there is a lot in the next chapters that I think everyone will like but I will never know if you don't tell me.**


	2. Dark and Difficult Times

The four house tables had been set with a magnificent Halloween feast but there was a sinister feeling in the air as all the students filed in from their individual houses. Most of the students seemed oblivious to the strange atmosphere, but Hermione could feel the cold chill of betrayal as she sat with Ron and Harry at the Gryffindor house table.

Hermione POV  
I knew there was really something wrong the moment I saw Dumbledore. As he rose from the table to make his usual speech I could clearly see the sadness etched onto his face. Dumbledore had never looked like this in front of the whole school before but it was unmistakable grief that dominated his features. When he reached his podium he cleared his throat and the hall fell silent. He stared at the students and spoke.

"Students as you well know there have been many new changes. Minister Snow has now received control of much of what happens here at Hogwarts. That being said I am now forced to announce that Hogwarts will be hosting the first annual "hunger" games. These games are meant to test your skill, bravery, resourcefulness, and strength. They will require cunning, wit and valor. I will call 16 tributes to fight. There can be only one victor. The rest will be dead."

The hall was silent for a few moments but it was only the calm before the storm. When the students had recovered from their shock there was an almighty uproar as they shouted from every direction. This was so much worse than the Triwizard tournament. With that there had been only a chance we could die, with this 15 of us had to. This was so wrong, why would Dumbledore allow his students to slaughter one another. Of course I knew it was no longer in his control to stop it. Everything had begun to change since our trip to the Ministry a few months ago. Voldemort had been sighted, Fudge had been sacked and strange things had been happening all across the country. There had been disappearances all through Britain and a cold fog that drew all happiness out of wherever it reached. The entire wizarding world knew what was happening although the Muggles did not. Voldemort had returned just as Harry and Dumbledore had been trying to convince everyone last year. Since then the Order had found out that he had taken hold of the ministry and the new Minister for Magic was one of his death eaters. Minister Coriolanus Snow had enacted new laws and had seized control of nearly every wizarding facility. Dumbledore had no control over these so called games, the best we could all hope for was that it wouldn't be our name that was drawn or that we would be the one to survive if it had.

Dumbledore was still speaking when I had pulled away from my thoughts. He had begun to explain how the tributes would be chosen. It was very much like the Triwizard tournament had been but the students would not electively place their names in the goblet. Each student would have their name written on a slip of parchment for each year that they had attended Hogwarts. This meant that Harry, Ron and I would each have six chances to be picked, It was better than the seventh years but the odds had never been in our favor. I felt scared for Harry, Voldemort was behind this and we all knew he wanted Harry dead, but would he go so far as to let someone else kill him?

The names were set to be drawn the following week but no one was able to focus on classes. We knew there was no way to predict who would be chosen but that fact only made everything more terrifying. On the seventh of November we all were summoned to the Great Hall to watch as 15 of our friends and classmates were sent to their imminent death.


	3. The Reaping

***I still don't own anything :)**

**Ron POV**

We all unwillingly filed into the Great hall. There wasn't a single sound as Dumbledore walked toward the glowing goblet set where his podium usually stood. The goblet looked much like the one used for the Triwizard tournament, the only difference was the size. This goblet was twice the size of the former to hold the many names of the so called tributes. When Dumbledore reached the goblet it glowed red and spit a slip of parchment into the air, there were no words of introduction needed, every student sat in silence as Dumbledore called out the first name.

"Hannah Abbott"

I glanced over to the Hufflepuff table to see Hannah a sixth year staring in shock at Dumbledore. Just as in our sorting Hannah had been called up first. She stood from the table shaking with fear as Filch lead her to the line of chairs before Dumbledore, as she sat the next slip flew from the goblet and Dumbledore caught it in an outstretched hand.

"Tracey Davis"

I didn't recognize the name but a small boy with blonde hair stood up at the Hufflepuff table, he looked to be about 11 but he proudly walked to the front of the hall and sat next to Hannah, he put his arm around her and she slowly stopped shaking. Despite his bravery I knew he wouldn't last long in the games. Before anyone had taken their eyes of the brave little first year Dumbledore had read out the next name.

"Cho Chang"

I glanced at Harry, he had sort of had a thing with Cho the previous year but it had ended badly. He groaned as she stood up crying when Filch roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her to sit next to Tracey. This was terrible, we were only three people in and already I wanted to die, I only knew the two girls from the DA but they were all good people and they didn't deserve to die, none of us did. Before I had gathered my thoughts Dumbledore had already called the next name.

Oliver Rivers was a dark skinned third year who burst into tears the moment he heard his name just as Cho had. He was pulled to the front of the hall by Filch as Dumbledore read out the next name.

"Millicent Bulstrode"

As she walked to the front of the hall I realized where I remembered her, in our second year Hermione had tried to use her hair for the polyjuice potion but had been transformed into a cat instead. I looked over to see Hermione scowling down at the table, I couldn't tell if it was because she had remembered what I just had or just the reaping. As the girl sat in front of Dumbledore another slip of parchment flew from the goblet. Dumbledore held it out and said

"Draco Malfoy"

Harry, Hermione and I all stared at each other. We were all shocked that one of the Death eaters children would be chosen. If anyone had to die that git was at the top of my list. He walked up to the line of other students marked for death with a barely perceptible tremble. He didn't seem so confident now that he would be fighting 15 other students. The three of us then looked at Dumbledore knowing that Gryffindor tributes were next.

"Demelza Robins"

Demelza was one of the new chasers of the Gryffindor quidditch team, She was quick and strong, if anyone could win I thought she seemed like she had the best chance. Next called was Cormac McLaggen, he was a 6th year who had wanted to get on a first name basis with Hermione, I had no problem seeing him thrown into the games. Dumbledore continued to call names, there were two scared looking Hufflepuffs that came next, the boy was called Roger Malone and was a stocky 7th Hopkins was the girl, a friend of Katie Bells'. Dumbledore then called the two Ravenclaws first was Marcus Belby another 7th year, Marietta Edgecombe she was a friend of Cho's who had ratted out the DA to Umbridge last year. I felt bad for Cho having to fight against her friend, but there was nothing I could do.

Vincent Crabbe was called next and Malfoy sneered as Crabbe walked up to the line of others as Pansy Parkinson was called up as well. I supposed that it would be hard to find Slytherins that were not either part of Malfoys circle or death eaters. It was back to the Gryffindors and I sighed in relief as Dennis Creevey was called. We were in the clear we wouldn't have to fight to the death, I had just finished the thought when my stomach hit the floor. Dumbledore had called the final name.

"Hermione Granger."

She gasped as Filch took her roughly by the arm and pulled her to the last chair. I couldn't think straight, how could I have forgotten that Hermione could be chosen. I stared at her as Dumbledore said final words and called all the tributes to the room off the hall. The crowd of students pushed me back as I watched her exit the hall.

This wasn't real it couldn't be, not her, not Hermione.

**AN *Hooray a Cliffhanger! Please read and review I put a lot of time into this and I want to know people actually like it before I post anymore.**


	4. The Reaction

**I still own nothing but an obsession for JK and Suzanne**

**Hermione POV**

I knew that my first reaction should have been to head straight to the library but something about the reaping made that feel all wrong. I felt hopeless, I knew that I only had eight days before I would be forced into an arena with people I knew, and I would have to kill them to stay alive. This isn't me, there was no way that I would be able to do this. I was not a killer, I had always found a logical way to solve a problem. Even a few months ago in the Ministry I had never aims spells that might kill. I couldn't think about death anymore, the only thing left for me to do was to spend the little time I had left with my two best friends.  
It was late as I made my way back to the common room. The halls oddly deserted, I sped along in a sullen silence trying to banish the thoughts from my overwhelmed mind. The Fat Lady looked at me sadly and swung open without asking for the password. As I climbed through the portrait hole I noticed that the common room was empty except for a figure turned toward the low burning fire. From the flickering light I could just make out the red hair. It was Ron. I rushed across the room and flung myself into his arms. Feeling his heartbeat against my cheek I began to sob. I didn't want to go. I didn't want to die.

Ron POV

Her cries broke my heart, I had never seen Hermione cry. I held her as tight as I dared never wanting to let her go. She continued to sob and I began to stroke her soft flowing hair. Her breathing slowed and she went silent. After a moment I lightly kissed the top of her head. She looked up at me tears still glistening in her eyes. I knew this was the moment, it was now or never. Staring straight into her eyes I whispered "I love you." She continued to stare at me with a look that I could only take for shock. I silently scolded myself for ruining everything that we had when she took my face in both of her small hands and gently kissed me. I froze in slight shock, then as I registered what was happening I kissed her back with an urgency that said all the things I could never articulate. After a long heated moment she pulled away and staring straight into my eyes spoke the words I had been longing to hear for so long. "I love you too"

I nearly broke into tears myself to hear her speak those words. I had been in love with her since our second year. I remember the exact moment that the know-it-all schoolgirl turned into the love of my life. It was right after the quidditch match was canceled and Mcgonagall had taken Harry and me up to the hospital wing. Hermione just lay there rigid and at that moment I knew that I didn't want to live without her. I sat by her side every chance I got just holding her hand hoping that she could feel my presence. The feeling had only intensified during that first hug after she had been given the mandrake potion. I knew from that point on I would never let her go. It had been terrifying enough with my injured leg during our third year. I could protect her from a transformed Lupin. But now, this "games" thing, how would I ever be able to protect her now?

I pulled Hermione to my chest again. I resolved to never let her go. They wouldn't be able to take her if I didn't let her go. I loosened my grip slightly taking her hand in mine and lead her back to the overstuffed chair that the three of us sat around while we did homework. I sat down guiding her into my lap like a child so that her head rested against my shoulder. She placed her unoccupied hand against my neck and we just sat in silence as I softly stroked her hair. The moment felt so right, but I knew that It couldn't last. Our time was ticking away too quickly and I had no power to stop it. There were so many things that I wanted to say that I might never get the chance, but the words evaded me as I sat there holding her. I looked down at her small form curled in my lap and tried to console her. "I have always loved you Hermione. I promise to do everything in my power to keep you safe. Always."

**Hermione POV**

Would anything in my life ever turn out the way I planned it? I loved Ron, but my fate would never let me be happy. A happy night in my life had to be tainted by my imminent future.

***AN please please please review. Im not quite sure which direction I want to take this and I would love some input. :)**


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